DEEP LEARNING FOR OBJECT DETECTION USING RADAR DATA

Recently, Deep learning algorithms are becoming increasingly instrumental in autonomous driving by identifying and acknowledging road entities to ensure secure navigation and decision-making. Autonomous car datasets play a vital role in developing and evaluating perception systems. Nevertheless, the majority of current datasets are acquired using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and camera sensors. Utilizing deep neural networks yields remarkable outcomes in object recognition, especially when applied to analyze data from cameras and LiDAR sensors which perform poorly under adverse weather conditions such as rain, fog, and snow due to the sensor wavelengths. This paper aims to evaluate the ability to use RADAR dataset for detecting objects in adverse weather conditions, when LiDAR and Cameras may fail to be effective. This paper presents two experiments for object detection using Faster-RCNN architecture with Resnet-50 backbone and COCO evaluation metrics. Experiment 1 is object detection over only one class, while Experiment 2 is object detection over eight classes. The results show that as expected the average precision (AP) of detecting one class is (47.2) which is better than the results from detecting eight classes (27.4). Comparing my results from experiment 1 to the literature results which achieved an overall AP (45.77), my result was slightly better in accuracy than the literature mainly due to hyper-parameters optimization. The outcomes of object detection and recognition based on RADAR indicate the potential effectiveness of RADAR data in automotive applications particularly in adverse weather conditions, where vision and LiDAR may encounter limitations

The effect of caffeine ingestion in prevention of post-operative ileus after caesarean section: a randomized controlled trial

Background: Caesarian section (CS) has become more prevalent than the vaginal delivery in Egypt. Many complications could occur after an abdominal surgery. One of the commonest but yet serious complications is the postoperative ileus that can possibly be prevented by caffeine ingestion. The aim of the study is to assess the value of caffeine ingestion in promoting intestinal motility and prevention of postoperative ileus after CS.Methods: This is a randomized controlled trial that was conducted on 560 cases who were recruited from emergency unit and inpatient wards in Ain Shams University maternity hospital. The patients were divided into two groups where the intervention group received caffeinated coffee while the other group received decaffeinated coffee.Results: There was statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding the bowel function after CS (p <0.05). The intervention group had improved intestinal functions after the CS. Patients from the intervention group had audible intestinal sound sooner than the control group. In addition, they passed flatus and were able to tolerate food in less time.Conclusions: Consuming caffeinated coffee after CS contributes significantly to faster restoration of intestinal function. Coffee is a popular drink and can be used to decrease the incidence of postoperative ileus-related complications

Analysis of Solar Photovoltaic Panel Integrated with Ground Heat Exchanger for Thermal Management

In spite of high solar radiation being an advantage for the performance of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, the caused high surface temperature of the panel surface reduces their efficiency, as well as lifetime span due to cyclic thermal stresses. PV panels are deteriorating due to two setbacks from a harsh climate: shallow temperatures during the night leading to condensation and overheating during the day leading to reduced efficiency. The present paper discusses and resolves the two setbacks in the PV performance by cooling the panel during the day and heating the panel during the night using water circulation in a ground embedded heat exchanger. Experimental and numerical methods were used to carry out the investigation on the influence of the proposed technique on the PV performance. Following the experiments, a computational model has been developed to simulate the experimental set-up. Two PV modules have been tested simultaneously in outdoor environment; one is bare and the second is integrated with ground heat exchanger. Results revealed that the integrated heat exchanger has managed to reduce the PV surface temperature by around 8oC during the daytime and rise the PV surface temperature by around 3oC more than the due temperature, at which condensation takes place during the night time. The developed technique has proved to be highly efficient as a PV thermal control method.The authors acknowledge PETRONAS – Malaysia for the financial support of the research under research grant YUTP-FRG, CS: 015LC0-206. Also, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), Malaysia is acknowledged for the logistic and technical support to carry out the research in the solar site of the solar thermal advanced research centre [STARC]

Relationship between posterior permanent dentition pattern and radiographic changes of the mandibular condyle

This study assessed the relationship between posterior permanent dentition and radiographic changes of the mandibular condyle. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 panoramic radiographs of patients over 40 years of age (188 females and 112 males). Panoramic radiographs were evaluated for condylar changes such as flattening, subcortical sclerosis, subcortical cyst, erosion, osteophytes, and generalized sclerosis. Presence of muscle pain and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain and sounds, and history of TMJ trauma were also assessed. The occlusal scheme of posterior teeth was analyzed according to the Eichner’s index. The frequency of condylar changes was calculated in the right and left sides, and their association with posterior permanent dentition was analyzed by the Chi-square test (alpha = 0.05). The frequency of flattening, muscle pain, TMJ sounds, and erosion was 11.7%, 9.7%, 5.7%, and 3.7% in the right side, respectively. The frequency of flattening, muscle pain, erosion, and subcortical cyst was 12%, 9.3%, 5%, and 5% in the left side, respectively. The frequency of bilateral muscle pain, flattening, TMJ sounds, and TMJ pain was 18%, 16.7%, 11.7%, and 9.3%, respectively. Cases with TMJ trauma, generalized sclerosis, and osteophytes were few. According to the Eichner’s index, most patients with condylar changes had classes A and B, and a smaller percentage had class C. No significant difference was noted between healthy individuals and those with condylar changes regarding dentition patterns. No relationship existed between condylar changes and posterior permanent dentition pattern

Assise: Performance and Availability via NVM Colocation in a Distributed File System

The adoption of very low latency persistent memory modules (PMMs) upends the long-established model of disaggregated file system access. Instead, by colocating computation and PMM storage, we can provide applications much higher I/O performance, sub-second application failover, and strong consistency. To demonstrate this, we built the Assise distributed file system, based on a persistent, replicated coherence protocol for managing a set of server-colocated PMMs as a fast, crash-recoverable cache between applications and slower disaggregated storage, such as SSDs. Unlike disaggregated file systems, Assise maximizes locality for all file IO by carrying out IO on colocated PMM whenever possible and minimizes coherence overhead by maintaining consistency at IO operation granularity, rather than at fixed block sizes. We compare Assise to Ceph/Bluestore, NFS, and Octopus on a cluster with Intel Optane DC PMMs and SSDs for common cloud applications and benchmarks, such as LevelDB, Postfix, and FileBench. We find that Assise improves write latency up to 22x, throughput up to 56x, fail-over time up to 103x, and scales up to 6x better than its counterparts, while providing stronger consistency semantics. Assise promises to beat the MinuteSort world record by 1.5x

Parathyroid hormone secretion and receptor expression determine the age-related degree of osteogenic differentiation in dental pulp stem cells

Objective: To demonstrate the levels of parathyroid hormone secretion and genetic expres-sions of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and PTH1 receptor (PTH1R) genes in the dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) from different age groups before and after induction of osteogenic differentiation. In addition, we also wanted to check their correlation with the degree of osteogenic differentiation. Methods: Human primary DPSCs from three age groups (milk tooth (SHEDs), 7–12 years old; young DPSCs (yDPSCs), 20–40 years old; old DPSCs (oDPSCs), 60+ years old) were characterized for mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) markers. DPSCs were subjected to osteogenic differentiation and functional staining. Gene expression levels were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Surface receptor analysis was done by flow cytometry. Comparative protein levels were evaluated by ELISA. Results: All SHEDs, yDPSCs, and oDPSCs were found to be expressing mesenchymal stem cell markers. SHEDs showed more mineralization than yDPSCs and oDPSCs after osteogenic induction. SHEDs exhibited higher expression of PTH and PTH1R before and after osteogenic induction, and after osteogenic induction, SHEDs showed more expression for RUNX2, ALPL, and OCN. Higher levels of PTH were observed in SHEDs and yDPSCs, and the number of PTH1R positive cells was relatively lower in yDPSCs and oDPSCs than in SHEDs. After osteogenic induction, SHEDs were superior in the secretion of OPG, and the secretions of ALPL and PTH and the number of PTH1R positive cells were relatively low in the oDPSCs. Conclusions: The therapeutic quality of dental pulp stem cells is largely based on their ability to retain their stemness characteristics. This study emphasizes the criterion of aging, which affects the secretion of PTH by these cells, which in turn attenuates their osteogenic potential

Comparison of coronal discoloration induced by White MTA and CEM Cement

Coronal discoloration of endodontically treated teeth is a challenge in clinical dentistry. This study aimed to compare coronal discoloration induced by White Mineral Trioxide Aggregate and Calcium-enriched mixture cement. Fifty single-rooted, unrestored premolar teeth extracted for orthodontic reasons were selected. After access cavity preparation, all the root canals were instrumented with MTWO rotary files up to #40.6%. The specimens were randomly assigned to two experimental groups, White Mineral Trioxide Aggregate and Calcium-enriched mixture cement groups (n = 20), and two control groups (n = 5). In the White Mineral Trioxide Aggregate and Calcium-enriched mixture cement groups, the material was condensed via the access cavity 3 mm below the cementoenamel junction to a thickness of 3 mm. Tooth color was assessed using computer analysis of digital images. Tooth color measurements were recorded at eight time intervals: before material placement (but after tooth preparation), at 24 h, 48 h, one week, two weeks, four weeks, eight weeks, and sixteen weeks after material placement. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, repeated measure ANOVA, and Tukey HSD tests. The significance level was set at 5% for all the tests. Cervical discoloration of teeth in both experimental groups significantly increased over time (p &lt; 0.05). However, samples in the White Mineral Trioxide Aggregate group showed more discoloration in cervical regions than Calcium-enriched mixture cement specimens after two, four, eight, and sixteen weeks (p &lt; 0.05). Applying both White Mineral Trioxide Aggregate and Calcium-enriched mixture cement induced coronal discoloration; however, White Mineral Trioxide Aggregate samples exhibited greater cervical discoloration than Calcium-enriched mixture cement specimens after two, four, eight, and sixteen weeks

Factors related to discontinued clinic attendance by patients with podoconiosis in southern Ethiopia: a qualitative study

Background Podoconiosis is a lymphoedema of non-infectious cause which results in long-term ill health in affected individuals. Simple, effective treatment is available in certain parts of Ethiopia, but evidence indicates that not all patients continue collecting treatment supplies from clinic sites once started. We used qualitative techniques to explore factors related to discontinued attendance at outreach clinics of a non-government organization in southern Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional qualitative study was conducted in four clinic sites through unstructured in-depth interviews, key informant interviews and focus group discussions with the involvement of 88 study subjects. Results Discontinuation of clinic visits is common among podoconiosis patients. The reasons were: remoteness from the clinic sites, unrealistic expectation of ‘special’ aid, worry about increasing stigma, illness and misconceptions about treatment. Conclusions Several of these factors are remediable through community and individual information and education. Appropriate routes to deliver this information must be identified. Certain factors (such as distance to clinic sites and stigma) require substantial expansion of services or liaison with village-level government health services